Skeptic Distillery Co. sits in a converted industrial space at 2525 W Le Moyne Street in Melrose Park, just outside Chicago’s western edge. Founded by husband-and-wife team Mike and Sarah Chen in 2019, this craft operation emerged from Mike’s background in chemical engineering and Sarah’s restaurant industry experience. They spent three years navigating permits and perfecting recipes before opening their doors, transforming a former auto parts warehouse into a modern distillery with exposed brick walls and gleaming copper stills. The couple focuses on small-batch bourbon, rye whiskey, and gin, with production runs typically yielding fewer than 100 bottles per batch. Their 500-gallon copper pot still, custom-built by Forsyths in Scotland, dominates the production floor alongside four 53-gallon oak barrels for aging. The tasting room occupies the front half of the 3,200-square-foot space, featuring a live-edge walnut bar that Mike built himself and industrial lighting that plays up the warehouse aesthetic. You’ll find them both behind the bar most weekends, pouring samples and explaining their grain-to-glass process with the enthusiasm of people who still can’t believe they pulled this off.